Rivers - Hydrological cycle and drainage basins

Question 1

Stores

Answer 1

The atmosphere - as water vapour and as minute droplets in clouds

The land -

1. Surface store (rivers, lakes and reservoirs.)
2. Interception (Vegetation)
3. Groundwater store/ store aquifers
4. Surface store (Glaciers and ice sheets)
5. Soil moisture

The sea -

6. Salt-water store (Seawater)
7. Cryosphere (ice)

Question 2

System for Global circulation of water?

Answer 2

Closed

Question 3

System for a drainage basin?

Answer 3

Open

Question 4

Does amount of water in the global hydrological cycle change????

Answer 4

No

Question 5

Flows

Answer 5

1. Evaporation
2. Transpiration
3. Évapotranspiration
4. Condensation
5. Precipitation
6. Overland flow
7. infiltration
8. Percolation
9. Throughflow
10. Groundwater flow

Question 6

Inputs

Answer 6

1. Energy from the sun
2. Precipitation formed outside the basin
3. Water from tributary drainage basins

Question 7

Outputs

Answer 7

1. River’s discharge

2. Water in its basin from which evaporation and transpiration take place

Question 8

Estuary

Answer 8

Mouth of the river

Question 9

Watershed

Answer 9

The imaginary line that divides one drainage basin from another

Question 10

Three types of drainage basins

Answer 10

1. Those that simply collect and deliver water directly to the sea
2. Those are parts of much larger drainage basins
3. Basins that lead to inland seas or lakes

Question 11

Drainage basin

Answer 11

• An area of land drained by a river and its tributaries

- One part of the hydrological cycle. It has inputs and outputs since it’s an open system

Question 12

Precipitation

Answer 12

• The main input into the hydrological cycle

- Transfer of water in any form, from the atmosphere to the land or sea surface

Question 13

Evaporation

Answer 13

• Water is lost directly into the atmosphere from the ground and vegetation due to the sun’s heat

Question 14

Interception

Answer 14

Precipitation that collects on vegetation, they either pass through the stem as stem flow or as through fall

Question 15

Surface runoff/ overland flow

Answer 15

Water that reaches the river channel by flowing over the land surface

Question 16

Through flow

Answer 16

Water the moves sideways down the slope through soil, pulled by gravity

Question 17

Infiltration

Answer 17

The water that sinks downwards into the soil

Question 18

Percolation

Answer 18

Movement of water sinking downwards into the lower layers of rocks under the soil

Question 19

Groundwater flow

Answer 19

The flow of water sideways through the rock layers

Question 20

Water table

Answer 20

The uppermost level of groundwater. Below this point the rock is saturated

Question 21

Channel network

Answer 21

The system of surface and underground channels that collects and transports the precipitation falling on the drainage basin

Question 22

System definition

Answer 22

A group of interconnected parts that all link together

Question 23

System components

Answer 23

1. Inputs - addition of mass or energy to the system
2. Stores - part of the system where energy or mass is stored
3. Transfers -> horizontal and vertical flows
   - the movement of mass or energy between two stores
4. Outputs - the loss of mass or energy from a system

Question 24

High drainage density

Answer 24

Lots of streams, more likely to flood

Land is not very porous or has a high gradient

Question 25

Low drainage density

Answer 25

Not very many streams. Less likely to flood

Soil and rocks good at allowing infiltration and percolation or a low gradient